CLOUGH WANTS TEAM TO FIGHT HARDER FOR POINTS

NIGEL Clough says his team has to get back to battling harder than the opposition in order to gain valuable Championship points.

The Brewers lost 3-0 at Reading and are still looking for a first away victory as they head to Preston on Saturday.

Clough said: “We have to battle and scrap. We aren’t going to have players who are as good as the majority of teams in the Championship – but what we can do is fight, battle and scrap harder than the other teams. We have done it at home and generally on the road as well. On Saturday we didn’t so we have to get back to that and try and grind something out somehow.”

The Brewers boss was disappointed with the manner of the defeat at Preston.

He said: “In some ways it was the worst performance of the season. We were too easy to score against. We had our usual quota of chances but the goals we conceded made it too easy for Reading.

“They kept the ball well and were extremely confident after three wins on the spin. They were at home, third in the league – just a better team and players at the moment. In many ways when Reading are playing Burton Albion the result is not a surprise but we are always disappointed when we do lose and that’s the first time we have lost as easily as that."